Shoemaker s measure



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 8. A. S. ADLER, SHOEMAKEPJ$ MEASURE.

No, 546,287. Patented Sept, 17, 1895.

ANDREW B.GHAHI M4 PHOTO-UT"QWASHINGTONJC.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ABRAHAM S. ADLER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

SHOEMAKERS MEASURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part ofLetters Patent No. 546,287, dated September 17, 1895.

Application filed January 16, 1895 Serial No. 535,144. (No model.)

To ail whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ABRAHAM S. ADLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoemakers Measures; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relatesto certain new and useful improvements in machines adapted especially for the measurement ofthe human foot and to assist shoe dealers in quickly and accurately ascertaining the correct size in length and width of any foot and whether such foot requires a shoe with a low or high heel to make it comfortable to the wearer, and my invention consists of I the parts and the constructions and combinations of parts which I shall hereinafter fully describe, and specifically point out in the claims.

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a shoemakers measure embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal sectional view of the machine on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and showing in dotted lines a human foot in position ready to be measured. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a top plan view.

In the said drawings, A represents a base or support constructed of suitable material and in any well-known and appropriate manner to make it attractive, and of sufficient strength to sustain afoot placed thereon. This base is supported upon legs or standards a, and through it is made a longitudinal slot or opening I), which extends a considerable distance, and whose side walls are provided with channels or guides c, for a purpose I will hereinafter indicate.

At or near one end of the base Ais rigidly fixed a standard or heel-piece B, which in the present instance is formed by extending one of the endstandards a above the plane of the top of the base, as shown. On the opposite "end portion of the base is a toe-piece O, which is adapted to slide back and forth in guides c, engaged by tongues c, projecting inwardly from the toe-piece. This toe-piece, if desired, may have its inner face graduated in the usual or any well-known manner to indicate the measurement of the toe of any foot placed upon the base between the heel and toe pieces, with the latter adjusted closely against the end of the toe and with the heel firmly seated against the heel-piece, as is customary in shoemakers measuring-sticks and similar devices.

From suitable arms or brackets (1, projecting from the base A, is supported a bar D, or if preferred a plate, the surface of which is graduated in inches and fractions thereof, the purpose of which bar being, in connection with a movable pointer hereinafter mentioned, to quickly indicate a central point between the heel and toe pieces.

From the slidable toe-piece there projects a laterally-extending rod, bar, or plate E, whose outer end is designed to travel over the face of the graduated bar D to serve as a pointer for indicating in inches and fractions the length of the foot or shoe that has been properly seated with the toe-piece adjusted against it, as before described. A tube or sleeve F depends from the baseA and has at its upper end a head 8, with side flanges or lugs f, adapted to engage and travel in the guides or channels 0, whereby the tube or sleeve is suitably suspended and adapted to travel back and forth in the slot or guideway 6. Within the tube or sleeve F is placed a spring G, which acts upon a rod H, also passing through the tube or sleeve and carrying at its upper end above the tube a plate or head I, which is channeled, slotted, or otherwise formed with a longitudinally-extending guide it and a transversely-extending guide it, each of which guides receives a measuringstrap in such a manner that the straps may be pulled freely through them,for purposesl will now disclose.

The flexible measuring-strap L is preferably a thin metal blade, covered or not, as desired, and has one of its ends secured rigidly to or near the heel'piece B, and thence extends longitudinally along the top of the base over the slot b therein, and has its opposite end yieldingly connected to the base by means of an elastic connection, such as a spring M, whereby the strap is normally held under a slight tension to maintain it flat upon the base. In its passage from the heel-piece this strap L passes through the guide h in the head of the spring-actuated rod H, and thence passes through a guide or cut-away porti'onp in the'base of the toe-piece and beyond the outer side of the same. This strap L has a series of graduations corresponding with the usual length numbers in sizes,and these com mence, preferably, at a point remote from the I fixed end of the strap at the heel-piece, which ment.

denotes a foot or shoe of minimum length. Another flexible measuring-strap M is fitted to the head of the'rod H and 'is freely slidable through the guide or slot 72/ therein in planes at or about right angles to the strap L and is for theipurpose of obtaining the circum ferential measurements of the parts of the foot, such as the I instep measurement, the waist measurement, and the ball measure and which commence at such a point on the The graduations on the under side of the strap backof one of its ends as denotes the foot :orshoeot' minimum width,asshown in Fig. 4.

strap may be in inches and fractions thereof I and commence at one end of the strap and run consecutively throughout its length or as far as desired, and is for the purpose of indi eating the length ot any obtained measurement in inches.

, est which the graduations commence is pro- I vided with a platelO, having a lug, headed pin 11, or similar device which is designed to engage aslot in a plate or flange 12, extending,

from the; head of thespring-actuated rod H to temporarily secure this end during the time Lil the circumferential measurement is being taken by the strap M.

Projecting transversely from the head of the sleeve or tube F, with its outer end resting upon the bar D, is a plate N, having one or more series of graduations. In the present instance this plate is shown as having two series of graduations and corresponding characters, one of which series of graduations indicates instep measurements and the other ball measurements, with the numbers in each instance commencing at the outer end of the plate, and which indicates a foot or shoe of minimum width. If desired, the lower portion of the tube or sleeve F may be slotted to receive a pin or stud 16 from the spring-actuated rod H to properly guide the rod in its vertical movements and to prevent axial movement, or any other well known or desired means may be substituted for this purpose, if desired. One of the facesof the rod H is provided with a ratchet-surface, and on the sleeve or tube is pivotally mounted a lever P, one end of which is formed as a pawl to engage the ratchet-surface of the rod, while the opposite end is acted upon by a spring 13 to normally hold the pawl in engagement with the ratchet-surface.

gaging 'the ratchet-surface of the rod.

This strap M has oneor both of'its I tom of, the foot.

Theendof the-strap M near tially as follows: The rod H is first pressed down against the power of its sprin'g and held depressed by the pawl end of the'lever P, en-

The

foot is now placed on the base A between the heel and toe pieces and the toe-piece is adjusted against the too. The operator nowohserves the graduation or numberon the bar D which is in line or registers with thepointer E from the toe-piece, after which the tube or sleeve, with its adjuncts, is adj ustcd'along the sloth in the base until its pointerindicates one-half of the measurement just noted, when heel and toe pieces, with the rod 11 in line with the center of the arch or hollow of the foot. itspawl end from engagement with the ratchetsurtace'of the rod H, when thespringwill action carries the measuring-strap L upwardly with it, and the latter, being flexible, will conform itself to the curved outline of the bot- The upward movement of the strap also causes its free or yielding end base of the toepiece. The strap being in the graduation or character which registers with the outer faceofi the toe-piecelwhich face serves as a pointer in thisinstance) and. thus ascertains the correct length of the footin size numbers. Having learned this fact, he

measurement to see what width of shoe is re end of the transverse strap, which is done by corresponding slot or opening in the flange or extension 12 of the head I and then drawing the opposite portion of the strap through the guide h of the head I until the foot is closely bound by the strap M. The character or graduation on the transversestrap which corresponds wi-th the character or graduation on the other strap L, indicating the length measurement, will now be found to align itself with one of the graduations on the transverselyprojecting plate N from the head of the tube or sleeve, and such aligned graduation or character will indicate at a glance the properand correct Width of shoe required, In other Words, if the length measurement shows character No. 7 on the strap L, and the character N0. 7 on the transverse strap M registers with the character on the plate N when the strap is drawn across the plate and is closely binding the foot, the measurement indicates that the foot requires a No. '7 0 shoe, the length size being No. 7 and the width size 0. The ball and waist measurements are taken in the same manner and with the aid of other series of graduations onithe plate N, one of which is shown and marked ball.

- In order that I may ascertain if the foot has The operation of the machine is substanr a high arch or is flat, so that a proper form of the tube will be centrally placed betweenthe The lever P isnow operated to release I 85 I force the rod upwardly until itshead rests snugly against the hollow of the feet. This to slide through the slotor openiug in the position indicated, the operator observes the proceeds to find the correct circumferential I quired. This heascertains by first fixingone r 7 causing the headed pin or lug llto engage its heel may be given the shoe to make the latter comfortable to the wearer, I place a series of numbers on the rod H to designate the lines of the ratchet and use the tube as a pointer to be read with the same. This is for the purpose of showing the kind of heel required for the shoe.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, of two flexible measuring straps one of which is arranged at approximately right angles with the other and a slotted head in which both straps are slidably mounted, one of said straps being bendable in a plane at right angles with its own width and adapted to inclose a foot or other inserted object, and a plate or bar projecting in the direction of the length of the inclosing straps and having a scale or series of graduations over which the free end of the said strap passes to disclose the circumferential measurcment of the object inclosed by the strap.

2. The combination,with a support having a heel and toe piece, of a vertically springactuated device slidable longitudinally on said support, and a measuring strap slidable through said device.

3. The combination, with a suitable base having a heel and toe piece, of a support, and a strap slidable through said support having one end fixed and the opposite end yieldingly corrected.

4. The combination, with a suitable base having a heel and toe piece, of a support, and a strap slidable through said support having one end fixed, and a spring connecting the opposite or free end with a fixed point whereby said end is free to move and the strap is kept normally under tension.

5. The combination, with a suitable support having a heel and toe piece, of a vertically movable device slidable horizontally on said support, and a measuring strap slidable on the device in planes at about right angles to the horizontal sliding movement thereof and bendable in planes at right angles to its own width.

6. The combination, with a suitable support having a heel and toe piece, of a device slidable horizontally and vertically on said support, and a measuring strap slidable on the device in planes at about right angles to the horizontal sliding movement thereof, said strap being bendable at right angles to its own width having one end adapted to be fixed and its opposite end free.

if. The combination, with a base or support having a longitudinal slot or guide, a heel and toe piece on said base one of which is fixed and the other adjustable, a tube or sleeve slidably mounted in said slot, a springactuated rod in said tube or sleeve, having guides or slots in its upper portion or head arranged one at right angles to the other, and flexible measuring straps slidably mounted in said guides.

8. The combination, with a base or support having a heel and toe piece one of which is fixed and the other adjustable, of a flexible measuring strap traversing the base, having one end fixed and the opposite end free to move, and a spring-actuated device through which the strap passes whereby the strap may be caused to conform to a curved or irregular outline and disclose the length thereof.

9. The combination, with a slotted base or support having a heel and toe piece, a flexible measuring strap extending along said base, a slide on said strap having a depending rod, a sleeve or tube for the rod having a spring to act thereon to project it upward, and means for holding the rod depressed.

10. The combination, with a slotted base having a heel and toe piece, a flexible measuring strap extending along said base, a slide on said strap having a depending rod, a sleeve or tube for the rod having a spring for projecting the rod upwardly, means for holding the rod depressed and means for indicating the amount of movement of the rod.

11. The combination, with a slotted base having a heel and toe piece, a measuring strap on said base having one end fixed and the opposite end free to move, a tube or sleeve slidable in said base, a spring-actuated rod in the sleeve having a head or plate provided with slots or guides arranged at right angles, and measuring straps adapted to slide in said guides, one of said straps being at right angles to the other and bendable in planes at right angles to its own width, and adapted to embrace the foot to obtain the circumferential measurement thereof.

12. The combination, with a base or support having a heel and toe piece one of which is fixed and the other adjustable, a measuring strap extending longitudinally along the base having one end fixed and the opposite connected with a spring, a flexible measuring strap extending transversely across said base, a slidable carrier for said straps, and a plate fixed to and extending transversely from'the carrier havingaseries of graduations adapted to be read with the graduations of the measuring straps.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ABRAHAM S. ADLER.

Witnesses:

WM. .T. LAKE, SAMUEL S. Bones. 

